MySQL vs CockroachDB for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

MySQL Overview

MySQL is the most widely used open-source database. It has been around for decades, runs behind millions of websites, and every developer has encountered it at some point. The setup is simple, the documentation is thorough, and the hosting options are everywhere.

For solo developers, MySQL's biggest selling point is simplicity. Install it, create a database, start querying. The tooling ecosystem is mature. phpMyAdmin, MySQL Workbench, Sequel Pro, and dozens of other GUIs exist. Every ORM supports it. Every framework integrates with it out of the box.

MySQL handles single-server workloads reliably. For the vast majority of solo developer projects, a single MySQL instance on a modest server handles the traffic without breaking a sweat.

CockroachDB Overview

CockroachDB is a distributed SQL database designed for applications that need to survive failures and span multiple regions. It is PostgreSQL-compatible, automatically shards data across nodes, and provides strong consistency guarantees. Think of it as PostgreSQL that you can spread across the globe without manually configuring replication.

The technology is impressive. CockroachDB handles multi-region deployments, automatic failover, and horizontal scaling out of the box. If a node goes down, the database keeps running. Data is automatically replicated and balanced. For companies running globally distributed systems, it solves real problems.

The free serverless tier lets you try it, and you can use the PostgreSQL wire protocol, which means most Postgres-compatible tools and ORMs work with it.

Key Differences

Scale and complexity. This is the core difference. MySQL runs on a single server and handles scaling through read replicas and manual sharding. CockroachDB is distributed by design, automatically handling sharding, replication, and failover. For a solo developer running a SaaS with a few thousand users, MySQL's single-server model is more than enough. CockroachDB's distributed architecture solves problems you almost certainly do not have yet.

PostgreSQL compatibility vs MySQL dialect. CockroachDB speaks PostgreSQL's SQL dialect. MySQL speaks its own. If you are considering CockroachDB, you are really choosing between the MySQL ecosystem and the PostgreSQL ecosystem. PostgreSQL has stronger features (JSONB, full-text search, stricter types), and CockroachDB inherits most of those.

Latency trade-offs. A single MySQL server gives you consistent, low-latency queries because everything is local. CockroachDB's distributed nature adds latency overhead for writes because data needs to be replicated to achieve consensus. For a solo developer's app with a single-region deployment, MySQL will actually be faster for most operations.

Pricing reality. MySQL is free to run on your own server. CockroachDB's free serverless tier works for experimentation, but the dedicated tier starts at $295/month. That is a significant cost for a solo developer. Unless you genuinely need distributed SQL, that money is better spent elsewhere.

Operational complexity. MySQL is straightforward to operate. CockroachDB, even in its serverless form, introduces concepts like multi-region configurations, survival goals, and distributed transaction semantics that add mental overhead. As the only developer on your project, every bit of complexity you add costs you time.

When to Choose MySQL

• You are building a standard web application with predictable traffic
• Your app runs in a single region
• You want the simplest possible database setup
• Budget is a primary concern
• You are in the PHP/WordPress ecosystem

When to Choose CockroachDB

• You genuinely need multi-region data distribution
• Zero-downtime failover is a hard business requirement
• You are building for massive scale from day one (rare for solo devs)
• You need PostgreSQL compatibility with automatic sharding
• You have the budget for the dedicated tier

The Verdict

MySQL wins this comparison for solo developers, and it is not close. CockroachDB solves distributed systems problems that solo developers do not face. The 4/10 solo dev rating for CockroachDB reflects reality: it is an excellent database for its intended use case, but that use case is enterprise-scale distributed applications, not indie SaaS projects.

If you are a solo developer, use MySQL (or even better, PostgreSQL) on a single server. When you actually need distributed SQL, and you will know when you do, then CockroachDB becomes a compelling option. Until that day, keep it simple. Your time is your most valuable resource, and spending it on distributed database configuration instead of building features is not a good trade.